JACOBS’ VISION EXTENDS TO NEW YORK

$133 million contribution will help build research institute

The din of construction will soon echo across New York’s Roosevelt Island, where Cornell University will build a $2 billion science and technology campus whose key financial backers include Qualcomm co-founder and philanthropist Irwin Jacobs of San Diego.

Jacobs and his wife, Joan, are Cornell graduates. They have donated $133 million in seed money for Cornell Tech, which is being developed with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology from Haifa, Israel. The development team won a major competition in the spring to create a campus where students can work directly with companies, especially on startups.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned over Roosevelt Island for the project in hopes that Cornell will drive innovation in the way that Bay Area schools have shaped the Silicon Valley.

Jacobs, 79, is helping to guide the 30-year build out of Cornell Tech, which already has named an institute after him. He recently discussed his involvement with the project — and whether it will detract from his philanthropic interests in San Diego County.

Q: You have a lot to choose from when it comes to donating money. Why did you invest so heavily in this project?

A: Joan and I have always strongly supported education. My current success started with scholarships and fellowships supplementing part-time work while I was a student. We support Cornell since both Joan and I met there as undergraduates, and two grandchildren are Cornellians.

And we’ve been very involved with Technion, including donations for the Jacobs Graduate School and the Jacobs Center for Communications and Information Technologies. Qualcomm just celebrated the 20th anniversary of its R&D center in Haifa, largely staffed with Technion graduates. Qualcomm has also benefited from investments in some of the many startups founded by its graduates.

Q: Cornell Tech is expected to emphasize cooperative education. You had that when you were an undergraduate at Cornell in the 1950s. How did that shape your thinking about the relationship between industry and academia?

A: I’m a strong supporter of cooperative education in engineering. The alternating terms in industry provide students with an in-depth exposure to practical problems. ... During my senior year at Cornell, I planned to go directly into industry, perhaps IBM Research Labs. But two of the engineers I worked with while on co-op said, “No, you should go on to graduate school.” I valued their opinion and applied for admission to MIT and also for a GE National Fellowship. Luckily, both came through and my life was changed dramatically.

Q: Cornell Tech is being advertised as a place where students will get an interdisciplinary, dual degree that comes with a global perspective. MIT, Stanford and UC San Diego advertise programs that are similar to a degree. Is the new Cornell institute truly different?

A: Cornell Tech and the innovation institute will support a one-year and two-year master’s program, respectively. The institute’s two-year program will result uniquely in the awarding of a degree from both Cornell and Technion. Both programs will stress interaction with industry mentors and applying academic research to real-world problems. Faculty who have had some experience with startups or who have worked in industry are being favored. One early campus building will provide office and lab space for companies, assuring close contact with students.